The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon, given the name, ‘Cha Cha Cherry’. Penstemon is in the family Plantaginaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae). This plant originated in a controlled breeding plan to create a compact, upright, medium size, multiflowered series. The exact parents are unknown, unnamed proprietary plants. This cultivar was selected for its compact growing habit, medium size flowers in dense clusters, long flowering time, vigor, and clean attractive look. It is an ideal plant for a sunny border in full sun.
Compared to plants of Penstemon Arabesque™ Red hybrid, an unpatented seed strain, the new cultivar is more vigorous, flowers earlier, and has more numerous flowers with no white eye rather than a white eye.
Compared to Penstemon ‘Garnet’, an unpatented plant, the new cultivar has an upright habit rather than somewhat floppy, larger, more numerous flowers that are red rather than rose red, and larger leaves.
Penstemon ‘Cha Cha Cherry’ is uniquely distinguished by its:                1. medium size red flowers in large dense clusters,        2. long bloom time,        3. compact, upright, well branched habit, with multiple crowns from the base,        4. attractive deep purple seed heads,        5. clean-looking, deep green, attractive foliage, and        6. excellent vigor.        
The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and micropropagation using terminal and lateral shoots as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.